Jeddah

No Saudi city has been more welcoming to outside influencers such as commerce, foreign artists, and Makkah-bound pilgrims than the old port of Jeddah over the years. Indeed, the city's unofficial slogan is "Jeddah ghair," which translates as "Jeddah is distinct." Today, Jeddah is Saudi Arabia's buzzing cosmopolitan metropolis, with glittering hotels and big-ticket events like the Red Sea International Film Festival, held in late winter. Al Balad, the wonderful historical area that has seen a resurgence in recent years, retains the city's heart. And the Red Sea remains at the heart of it all, serving as a conduit for trade, diving amid beautiful reefs, and fishing for Jeddah's famed seafood. According to local legend, the city where Eve was laid to rest is a captivating combination of old and new, and it remains magnificently unique.

One of the most evocative neighborhoods in the country is Jeddah's UNESCO-listed old town Al-Balad, with small passageways between ancient coral-stone merchants' houses leading to spice-scented souqs and incandescent traditional bakeries. Many structures have been meticulously renovated in recent years, notably the majestic 106-room Nasseef House, where former Saudi King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud lived in 1925 before becoming King of a united Saudi Arabia. Empty rooms have been transformed into eccentric cafés, art galleries, and mangour woodwork studios, as a seventh-century neighborhood looks to the future.

Jeddah’s 4.2-kilometer corniche has been transformed into a place of piers, swimming bays, restaurants and lushly landscaped walking and cycle paths. Jeddah’s winters are mild and dry, with temperatures ranging from 20 to 32 C, making it comfortable to stroll past iconic sculptures. See pieces by the likes of Henry Moore and Joan Miró, which first arrived in the city in the 1970s, that are dotted along the waterfront. For many, coming here is about watching the sun set over the Red Sea then seeing the launch of the 300-meter King Fahd’s Fountain, the world’s tallest, with its great jet of water lit up until midnight and visible across the city year-round.